Perfect Catastrophe
by KKHliboki
Summary: Brooke Davis is loving life with her boyfriend in Miami, Florida. But things come to a halt when he dumps her and moves to the west coast. Brooke is determined to follow him to California and rekindle their romance. But fate has other plans in store.
1. The Perfect Day

**Hello everybody! **

**I've finally decided to get back into the whole 'fanfiction' thing again. This the first story I've decided to write all by myself since I was twelve years old. I did help my cousin Kayla, also known as Dazzles, with a few of her fanfics, and I wrote some of her chapters here and there. But other than that, this is my first serious fanfiction in a long time. And I must say, I'm super excited to get it started. I've had great feedback from potential readers urging me to start this story, so a big thanks to them. The more positive feedback I receive, the more I want to write. An even bigger thank you goes to my favorite sister, Cass. She's given me the extra push to write this story. Without her, I don't think I would have brought myself to even write a chapter. Cass is also my beta for this story. Thanks girl! **

**So without further ado, here is the first chapter of ****Perfect Catastrophe****. I hope you enjoy **

**-Michaela. **

**--- **

"Today, is the perfect day."

Brooke Davis grinned. "P. Sawyer, you are so right. Today _is_ the perfect day."

The glowing sun warmed the Florida landscape as the two girls lounged by the pool of their Miami apartment. Brooke slathered a blob of coconut scented Hawaiian Tropic tanning lotion onto her toned legs and let out a happy sigh, as she leaned back in her chaise lounge. She held the latest copy of US Weekly, which was anxiously waiting to be opened up. Brooke loved days like this; the warm sunny days that could be spent by the pool catching up on all of the hottest celebrity gossip with your best friend. If Brooke could write a definition of the perfect day, this would be it. She opened up the magazine and began scouring the pages for the hottest gossip.

"Oh God!"

"What?" Peyton removed herself from The Lovely Bones and turned to Brooke.

"Oh nothing," Brooke assured. "I was just reading this article about who Paris is corrupting this week."

Peyton chuckled and returned to her novel.

Many words could be used to describe Brooke and Peyton's relationship, but unconventional said it best. Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer had been best friends since they were just young girls. And polar opposites they were. Brooke had been the stereotypical popular girl her entire life. In high school, she'd been the captain of the Tree Hill High cheerleading squad, the student council president, and the prom queen. In college, not only was she the president of her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, she was also the girlfriend of the university's star basketball player. Boys had started swooning over the dashing brunette at a young age, and by the time she was a sophomore in high school, guys wanted her and girls wanted to be her. Peyton, on the other hand, wasn't into the social scene nearly as much as Brooke was. Yes, she was a cheerleader. Yes, she was part of the popular crowd in school. But all Peyton really cared about was art. And she expressed herself through her emotion filled drawings, which Brooke could not and wouldn't ever understand. If you picked up someone off the street and told them that Brooke and Peyton were best friends, they wouldn't believe you. But despite their differences, they formed a sister-like bond that had lasted over a decade.

"I swear to God, I would shoot myself if I ever named my child Apple," Brooke scoffed, flipping the page of the tabloid. "I mean, who in their right mind does that? Like, 'Hi, I'm Brooke. These are my twins, Apple and Banana.' Gwen must have been drugged up when she chose that name."

Peyton laughed aloud. "Don't worry, Brooke. Nathan would never let you name your kids Apple and Banana."

Brooke smiled when she heard the name. She'd first met Nathan Scott at a fraternity party after the Miami Hurricanes basketball team had killed Stetson on their home court. At the time, Brooke only knew two things about Nathan Scott. One, was that he was the leading scorer on the team. She only knew that because Peyton had told her. And the second thing Brooke knew was that Nathan was probably one of the best looking guys she had ever seen. He was the image of a perfect man with his dark hair and cerulean eyes, a rare combination. His perfectly toned body was enough to make any girl, including Brooke, drool.

Brooke could remember that night as if it had happened just yesterday. She'd been wearing her favorite pair of dark Seven For All Mankind jeans and a red halter top that she always wore when she was in a real party mood. She had introduced herself to Nathan and congratulated him on the win. Then they'd talked about college life, friends, and how they'd ended up at Miami. They played drunken twister, which led to a few drunken body shots, which led to drunken sex in Nathan's room. Brooke had figured it was just a one night stand, but to her astonishment, she got a call a few days later from Mr. Basketball Star and he was asking her on a date. They went to Olive Garden and then saw Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story  in theaters. Before long, they became the new 'it couple' on campus. And soon, Brooke felt herself falling head over heels in love with Nathan.

"Speaking of Nathan," Peyton said, "Is he going to pop the question tonight?"

Brooke smiled and shrugged. "God, I hope so."

Tonight the two would celebrate their three year anniversary, to the amazement of most of their friends. Brooke had never been a long-term relationship sort of girl. She could usually keep a boyfriend for a few months before she got bored with him. Nathan was no different. He'd been a total unsettled player. Waking up with a groggy memory and a girl he didn't know wasn't uncommon. In fact, it was sort of like a little routine. Then, along came Brooke and everything changed.

The only thing Brooke really wanted for her three year anniversary with Nathan was a ring on the finger. Preferably a three carat Harry Winston princess cut, but that was really beside the point. She knew tonight was the night. She could feel it. They were done with college, and they were both ready to start their life together.

"Well," Peyton replied, "I better be the first to know."

Brooke grinned. "Of course you will be."

She could envision calling Peyton the next day, describing every last detail of the wonderful night: the dinner, the conversation, the question, the acceptance, and everything that would happen after that.

"So what are you doing for the big night?" Peyton asked, sipping a Diet Coke from the silver can.

"Well, he's picking me up at 7:00, and we have reservations at Parma at 7:30," Brooke informed.

"Fancy, fancy," Peyton noted. Parma was the best restaurant around; it sometimes took months to get a reservation at the place. "What did you decide you were going to wear?"

"Well," Brooke began, "I was going to wear the pink dress. But then I looked at it, and it's way too sparkly and sequined for tonight. So instead, I'm wearing a short, off-white Diane Von Furstenberg dress. It's totally cute."

"I'm sure you will look great, Brooke," Peyton said. "I'm really happy for you."

"I know. I can barely wait." Brooke sighed a happy sigh. "Tonight could possibly be the best night of my entire life."


	2. Shattered Expectations

**Chapter 2 is here. I'm really excited for everybody to read it. I enjoyed writing it. Thank you to everybody who reviewed the last chapter. Let's hope for even more this chapter. Once again, a big fat thank you to Cass who is my beta for the story. **

**Enjoy. **

"Brooke, you look amazing." Nathan Scott smiled at his girlfriend.

She did. She'd worn the short, elegant, cream colored dress that she had bought specifically for the night, and she looked like an image of perfection. Her brunette locks had been curled into lose waves that fell just below her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled in the night, and her trademark dimples were quite evident when she looked back at him. She felt like a princess, and he was her Prince Charming. Any man would kill to be with Brooke Davis, but only Nathan Scott had her heart.

"Thanks." Brooke grinned back. "So do you."

The stars were out, and the wind had settled. It was a nice night, perfect for a romantic dinner. Nathan and Brooke walked hand in hand down the brick walkway which led to the entrance of the restaurant. They arrived at Parma at 7:27, in perfect time for their 7:30 reservations. The scent of rich pasta and other cuisine filled the couple's noses as they entered the lobby, and the subtle sound of classical Italian music added an authentic touch to the room .

"Welcome to Parma," boomed the tall, male host, when they walked in the door. He was dressed up in an iron pressed white button up shirt and burgundy tie along with a pair of black slacks, and he stood behind an oak podium with a book of reservations in hand. "How may I help you?"

Nathan spoke, "Uh yeah, we have reservations for 7:30 under 'Scott'"

The host scanned the list of names. "Nathan Scott, party of two?" Without waiting for Nathan to answer, he grabbed two menus. "Right this way."

Nathan and Brooke followed the man to their table, which was located in a private corner towards the back of the restaurant. They sat down and began searching their menus after he left. They both quickly scanned the menus before deciding on sticking with their usual choices: chicken fettuccine Alfredo for Brooke, and shrimp tortellini for Nathan.

"Well, happy anniversary, Nathan," Brooke said, a small grin spreading across her lips.

"Happy anniversary," Nathan replied. He paused for a moment. "Three years."

"I know," Brooke gushed. "It's amazing isn't it?"

"It is." He nodded in agreement.

"I mean, honestly, if someone told me that I would stay in a relationship with somebody for three years, I would smack them upside the head and ask them if they were insane. I mean who on Earth would ever expect that Brooke Davis, of all people, would actually have a serious relationship?"

Nathan laughed aloud.

"I mean, seriously."

"I know what you mean," Nathan responded. "I was the same way."

"I know you were," Brooke said. "But you know what, it doesn't even matter anymore. That was then, and this is now."

Nathan nodded. "Exactly."

"So," Brooke said, taking a sip of her iced water, "what'd you end up doing today?"

"Well, I shot some hoops with Luke, then drove him to the airport at noon because his flight left at two."

Lucas Scott. The broody, hot, blonde brother. That was how Brooke saw him, at least. He'd flown in from San Diego, his current place of residence, for a week to see Nathan. They were half brothers, Lucas three months Nathan's senior. It was a very long story. In fact, the story of their father's life could probably be made into a Lifetime movie.

Dan Scott had dated his girlfriend, Karen Roe, all through high school. Many could say they were in love, and most of their former classmates would have predicted that they would end up living in a house with a white picket fence in Charleston, South Carolina, where they'd grown up and gone to school. But when Karen unexpectedly became pregnant at the end of her and Dan's senior year of high school, things took a turn for the worst. Dan was forced to choose between pursuing his dream of becoming a college basketball star or staying with Karen and becoming a dad at age eighteen. He reluctantly ended things with Karen, leaving her pregnant and broken hearted. Dan went off to college, where he met Deborah Lee, a feisty blonde girl from Raleigh. He couldn't resist, and not long after they were dating. Three months later, Deb was pregnant too.

The women didn't know about each other until they'd both given birth; Karen, to a son named Lucas, and Deb, to a boy named Nathan. A pressured Dan chose Deb over Karen, breaking his first love's heart, once again.

The boys didn't even know about each other until they entered junior high in Charleston, and to say they hated each other would be an understatement. Lucas and Nathan despised each other. Nathan was the popular one, and Lucas was the quiet one. They never spoke to each other. They never cared to speak to each other. Both were content with the fact that they hated each other.

But they did share one love: basketball. Neither of them knew it, but eventually it would be basketball that brought them together. In high school, Nathan was the start shooting guard of the high school basketball team. He'd led his team to a 9-1 record his sophomore year. Lucas, on the other hand, didn't play on the school team. Instead, he played for fun with a few of his friends on an old court by the river. But when the school's head basketball coach, Whitey Durham, convinced Lucas to join the team, the brothers' lives collided.

They fought constantly, both physically and verbally. Once, their feuding during an away game got them both kicked off the bus home, and they were forced to walk home. It was an unhealthy way of living, but that was the way it was. Finally, after almost a full season of fighting, the brothers came together. Whitey made them co-captains of the basketball team, and they were forced to cooperate. Before long, the brothers who once hated each other were best friends.

"Did you guys have fun this week?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah we did," Nathan said, nodding. "It's nice when he comes down to visit."

Brooke smiled. "Yeah. You need some manly bonding time. I'm sure you get bored of spending all your time with me."

"Never," Nathan joked.

"Oh be quiet."

"I'm innocent," Nathan defended. He threw his hands up in the air, causing Brooke to giggle. "What about you. What'd you do today?"

"Well," Brooke began, "Peyton and I lounged at the pool, and I read the exciting, and riveting US Weekly."

"Exciting and riveting, huh?" He laughed. "I bet."

"Oh, it was," Brooke chuckled. "We talked about baby names."

"Baby names?" he inquired.

"Yeah," she said. "Baby names. I still cannot understand how on earth Gwyneth Paltrow could name her poor child Apple. Peyton said you would never let me name our child Apple."

Nathan swallowed. "She's right."

"Well that's good."

They sat in silence for a few awkward moments. Nathan drummed his fingers on the marble tabletop and looked at the chandelier hanging in the center of the room. Brooke examined her nail beds and let out a long, loud sigh.

"Hello, my name's Patricia," the blonde waitress interrupted, breaking the silence. She pulled out an order tablet. "I'll be your waitress this evening. Are you all ready to order?"

The two nodded and proceeded to order their dishes. "Yeah, can I get the shrimp tortellini, with minestrone soup and Coke?" Nathan replied.

"And for you?" She turned to Brooke.

"Can I please have the chicken fettuccine with salad and a glass of White Zinfandel?"

The woman scribbled down the orders on her sheet and smiled. "Sounds good," she said. "I'll be back with your drinks and your soup and salad." She briskly walked away, and Nathan and Brooke returned to the silence.

"So," Nathan said, "I've kind of been thinking about the future this past week."

Brooke smiled. This was exactly what she had been waiting for. She listened intently as Nathan continued.

"I mean, I was thinking about _our_ future."

Even better.

"And, when Lucas was here, he brought up an interesting offer."

"An offer?" Brooke questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we were talking about how we never get to see each other. And he mentioned that maybe I would think about relocating." Nathan wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Relocating?"

"Yeah," Nathan said. "He said I should think about moving to San Diego."

Brooke choked aloud on the ice water which she had been sipping. She patted her chest. "Sorry," she said after coughing a few more times.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Brooke said, although she wasn't sure if it was true. "I'm fine."

"Okay."

"So, you're not going to move to California, right?"

"Well," he said, "I was sort of thinking about it. I mean, it would be nice to see him more. And they have a great children's basketball program down there. He said I'd be a great coach."

"You're thinking about it," Brooke repeated to herself, slowly.

"I mean it could be a great opportunity."

"Yeah."

"Which leads me to the part about our future," Nathan spoke.

The smile reappeared on Brooke's face.

"Yeah," she said. "I mean, I really like it in Florida. And I'll miss it a lot. But California could be a nice change."

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," Nathan said so softly that his words were very audible.

"I mean, If you really want to move, I'll go too."

Nathan didn't answer. Brooke looked at him intently. But he just sat there for a moment, silent.

"I don't want you to move, Brooke," Nathan finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're happy here. You have your friends. And your job. And your apartment. You don't really want to move. I know you don't."

"Well of course I don't really want to move. But it's a sacrifice I'll have to make to be with you. And I'm okay with that."

"Well, um, actually," Nathan began. "I was thinking…"

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I could move to San Diego, and you could stay here in Florida."

"You mean like a long-distance relationship?" Brooke inquired. "I don't do long-distance. I once had a boyfriend that lived twenty minutes away, and even that was too far."

"I don't mean long distance," Nathan struggled.

"Well what do you mean, Nathan? You're really confusing me."

"I, I mean…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"You mean what?" Brooke felt her voice rise when she asked the question. "For God's sake, spit it out."

He didn't answer again. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Finally, he mustered up the energy to say what he wanted to say.

"I think we should take a break."

"A break?" Brooke almost yelled. "What do you mean, a break?"

"Like, maybe we should stop seeing each other for a while?"

"What?!"

Nathan sighed.

"You're breaking up with me on our anniversary," Brooke mumbled, her voice monotone.

"No," Nathan interjected. "I'm not breaking up with you."

"I can't believe you're breaking up with me on our freaking anniversary."

"Brooke."

"When you say you want to take a 'break' you mean you want to break up."

"No really, it's not like that."

"It sure seems like it." A tear ran down her cheek, smearing the black mascara on her lashes.

"I'm sorry, Brooke." He reached over to wipe away the tear, but she pushed him away.

"Sorry is just a word, Nathan. It doesn't really mean anything."

And with that, she removed herself from the table, and stormed out of the restaurant. Tears were falling freely now as she walked. She was dumbstruck, awestricken, surprised beyond belief. Words couldn't describe the pain. She'd been expecting a proposal, and instead she got a big, fat dumping. All of her expectations for her anniversary were shattered. What could have been the best night of Brooke's life, turned out to be the worst.


End file.
